Apparatus for conditioning air



Dec. 22, R9531.

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INLET T..SHIPLEY APPARATUS FOR CONDITIONING AIR Filed Sept. 19, 1928CENVENU'EW CHAM BEE,

Patented Dec. 22,1931

UNITED STATES PATENT' o-FricE 'IHdMAS SHIPLEY, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA,ASSIGNOR TO YOBK ICE momma! CORPORATION, OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA,AOORPORATION OF DELAWARE APPARATUS FOR OONDI'IIONmG AIR Applicationfiled September 19, 1928. Serial No. 307,010.

This invention relates to air conditioning plants for use in maintainingthe desired temperature and relative humidity in enclosed spaces such asfactories, theatres, and

other buildings in which it is necessary to maintain air at a controlledtemperature and at a low relative humidity.

In my copending application Serial No. 293,072, filed July 16, 1928, Ihave described 0 and claimed a method of and apparatus for conditioningair, characterized by the use of a mechanical refrigerating plant inwhich the heat abstracted from the air of the dehumidifier is laterrestored in part to the same air to raise its temperature and reduce itsrelative humidity.

In that prior structure, which was described as applied to a theatre,there was a duct leading from the theatre and back to the theatrethrough the conditioning apparatus. There was also'means for venting aportion of the vitiated air passing from the theatre and supplyingmake-up air from outdoors so that the air returned to the theatreconsisted of a mixture of recirculated and fresh air. This mixture firstpassed over the evaporator cooling coils of the refrigerating systemwhere it .was subjected to a washing action with chilled water. It nextpassed through the usual eliminators and thenwas reheated by beingpassed over a portion of the condenser. This portion of the condensermay be regarded merely. as a part of the condenser, but as the part inthe circulating duct and the part outside the circulating duct wereconnected in series, the first element in the duct can be regarded asthe condenser pre-coolerr The advantage in this is that the refrigerantgas leaving the compressor at its maximum temperature, traverses thecoils in the duct,- thus ofi'ering a favorable opportunity for heattransfer from the refrigerant gas-to the air in the duct for-reheatingpurposes.

In the prior application the regulation of the amount of heatrejected'from the preheater to the circulating air was effected bypassing the air into contact with the precooler unit of the condenser orby-passing it around the same in varying proportions.

The present application is directed to a variant of this constructionin-which the regulation is secured in a dliferent manner.

In the present case the circulating air passes the condensing action ofthe refrigerating unit, and the structure here disclosed is believed topossess important features of utility.

' The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawing which is a diagrammatic plan view of a portion ofanenclosed space such as a.theatre,"

together withthe conditioning system, shown partly in section.

A portion of an auditorium or other enclosed space is indicated at 1.From this space there leads an exhaust or air discharge duct 2. 3 and 4represent manually adjustable dampers, the damper 3 controlling the ventconnection 5 leading to the atmosphere, and the damlper 4 controllingflow through the duct 2. y of the dampers 3 and 4, it is possible tovent to atmosphere the desired proportion, usually about one-fourth ofthe total'air withdrawn from the room 1. The duct 2 discharges intoamixing chamber 6 into which there leads a fresh air inlet duct 7controlled by a manually adjusted damper 8.

From the mixing chamber 6 the mixture of fresh and recirculated airflows to the right through a washer of 'known form. This includes aplurality of spray pipes 9 which appropriate relative settings.

are fed with spray water by a rotary pump 11,

driven by a motor 12. The pump discharges through pipe 13 and draws itssupply through a pipe 14 from a sump 15 into which the spray water andthe water from the eliminators, hereinafter described, flow.

Thespray water is refrigerated by evaporator coils 16, of known form,which are preferably mounted in the path of the air and of the spraydischarging from the spra heads 9. In this way. the air .is refrigeratedby direct contact with the coils and also by contact with the spra waterwhich, impinging upon the coils, is cooled as it trickles back to thesump 15. The ends of the sump are indicated at 17 and 18. 19 is aneliminator I of usual construction.

The washer is housed in 'an elongated duct 21 which extends beyond theeliminators 19 and which beyond these eliminators is somewhatcontracted, as shown at 22and there encloses a set of coils 23 which hasa dual function. From. the standpoint of the refrigerating cycle. it isa pre-cooler connected in series with thema-in condensing coil 24. Fromthe standpoint of the air conditioning operation it is a reheater forraising the temperature of the saturated air discharged.

by the eliminators 19. The main condenser 24 will ordinarily bewater-cooled, but as this is familiar practice, no attempt has been madeto illustrate it. The invention is not limited to ahy particular meansfor cooling the coils 24 'ikfter flowing in contact with the coils 23the dehumidified air which is now reheated,

asses to the total volume fan 25 and by this ihn is discharged through areturn duct 26 into the theatre. The fan is driven by motor 30.

The modes of connecting the ducts 2 and 26 to the theatre or other roommay follow known practice, and is not a feature of the presentinvention.In this connection I have in mind the known arrangements using mushroomsunder the seats with either upward circulation through the theatre, ordownward circulation, as conditions may require. There have also beeninstallations in which one set of ducts discharges through the sidewalls and the others either through the ceiling or through flooropenings. My invention is not limited to use, with any particularsystem.

The discharge end of the coil 23 is connected through a check valve 27with the inlet end of, the main condensing coil 24. The check valvepermits flow from the pre-cooler to the condenser and closes againstreverseflow,

28 represents a normally open stop valve at the inlet end of the-coil24. 29 represents a normally olpen stop valve at the discharge endof'saidcoi.

Liquefied refrigerant flo wm' g thro h the valve 29 is controlled by ane xpansio ii valve 31 which regulates the supply of refrigerant to theexpander coils 16. These coils are in on electric motor 34, in afamiliar manner.

The'compressor 33 dischai'ges through the turn connected by the suctionline 32 with the compressor 33; This maybe driven by an high pressurerefrigerant line 34 to a switch valve 35. This valve 35 is operated by adiaphragm motpr 36, and serves to connect the line 34 either to theinlet endof the or to-the'inlet end of the coil 24, orto both Forpurposes of explanation, "I. show two thermostats 37 and 38, bothconnected in con-- trolling relation to the motor 36. It is within thescope of the present inventionv to control the motor 36 solely by athermostat 37, which islocated in the sup ly duct 26. Similarly,

coil 23,

in varying ,roportions. The diaphragm motor 36 is t ermostaticallycontrolled.

it mightbe controlle solely by the thermostat 38 which is in the duct 2.This last location is the approximate equivalent of the location of thethermostat 38 within the room 1. I ma. use, however, an arrangement inwhich the control of the motor 36 is exerttd primarily by the thermostat38, and in w ch the ther-' mostat 37 operates to suspend the control of-the thermostat 38 and increase the reheating action of the coil 23arbitrarily, in the event' that the temperature in the duct 26 becomestoo low.

The use of two thermostats, one of which suspends the action of theother, under, certain conditions, is known in the temperature re latingart. 7

xcept as expressly stated in the claims, I do not desire to be limitedto any particular location for the thermostat or thermostats,-

but contemplate availing .of known developments in-the art oftemperature regulation.

In some cases manual re 'Iation might be used. It is, also practica l eto apply automatic regulation to dampers 3, 4 and-8, or to certain ofthem.

The drawing is primarily diagrammatic and no effort has beenmade to i1ustrate in detail the structure .of-elements which are familiar in theart and which are-standard articles of commerce.

While I prefer to usecarbon-dioxide as a refrigerant, and make-use of amechanical compressor, any suitable refrigerant operatin on any knowncycle may be substituted.

ith theparts arranged as described, and

' with the motors 12, 30 and 34 running, the fan will regulate thesupply of a corresponding amount of fresh air to the chamber 6at-theentrance end of the washer.

In some cases it is entirely practicable to;

do away with the discharge duct 5 and the dampers 3 and 4, inwhich casethe hint would operate as a plenum, system an the.

necexary air would be'vented from the auditelrium by leakage, as iscommon practice in t e art.

- the spray, but since the spray derives whatever heat it gives up tothe coils from the air,

the air is the ultimate source of the abstracted heat.

After passing through the washer and being deprived of a portion of itstotal heat, and consequently of a portion of its moisture, the airpasses through the eliminators 19 which serve to intercept entrainedmoisture. I

Thus the air approaches the coils 23 in a saturated condition at a lowtemperature and then passes in contact with the pre-cooler coils 23which reject the heat from the refrigerant to the air at a ratedependent on the setting of the valve 35. As explained this setting maybe made manually or may be under the control of the thermostats 37 or38, or both 37 and 38. The preferred arrangement is to control solely bythe thermostat shown at 38. In this way the air is reheated in theproper degree and in its finally conditioned state is returned to theroom 1 through the duct 26.

It will be observed that the valve 35 controls the rate of flow ofgaseous refrigerant to the pre-cooler 23, and that since the check Valve27 precludes flow from the coils 24 to the coils 23, there will beestablished in the coils 23 a pressure and temperature which will varyaccording to the setting of the valve 35. In this way a nice regulationof the reheating is secured.

The refrigerating efiect of the coils 16 may conveniently be adjustedmanually, and I prefer this to attempts at automatic regulation, whichoften introduce troublesome secondary effects.

The plant above described presents a number of important advantages. Allthe air which is discharged into the theatre has been washed andconditioned. Since all the air passes through the. washer it is notnecessary to operate the refrigerating coils 16 at excessively lowtemperatures and pressures as is required in some prior systems. Theresulting use of higher suction pressures increases the volumetricefficiency of the compressor and is a desirable feature.

No extraneous source of heat for reheating the air is necessary, thereheating being effected by the restoration to the air of heat unitsabstracted in the washer. Furthermore, the cool washed air is usefullyapplied in preliminary cooling of hot gases, thus economizing incondenser water. Since. all the air whichis circulated is washed andconditioned, the total amount which need be circulated to maintain adefinite standard of air purity, is reduced to the possible minimum. Itthus follows that the ducts and conditioning system are of smaller sizethan where air is by-passed to effect reheating.

The manner of regulating the reheating effect by controlling. the amountof hot gaseous refrigerant fed to the reheater-pre-cooler coils 23, isvery effective. Not onl may a nice graduation of the heat be broug tabout, but the action is prompt and sensitive.

As above stated, the showing is largely diagrammatic, and the apparatusis subject to considerable variation in the specific form of its parts.The underlying principle may be applied in various known systems ofdistribution, and the conditioning cycle is susceptible of automaticcontrol of various types familiar in the art.

What is claimed is,

1. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto said room;

7 means for lnducin g a circulation through said duct; a dehun'iiditicrunit of the refrigerating type including an evaporating cooling coil anda hcat'rejecting condenser, said coil and a portion only of thecondenser being located in said duct in the order stated relatively tothe direction of circulatory flow;

and means for directing hot gaseous refrigerant at varying rates to thatportion of the condenser within the duct, while the refrigeratingdehumidifier continues in normal operation.

2. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto said room; means for inducing a circulation through said. duct; adehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporatingcooling coil and a heat rejecting condenser, said coil and a portiononly of the condenser being located in said duct in the order statedrelatively to the direction of circulatory flow;

means for directing hot gaseous refrigerant at varying rates to thatportion of the condenser within the duct while the refrigeratingdehumidifier continues in normal operation; and thermostatic meanscontrolling the last named means.

3. The combination -of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto said room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; adehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporatingcooling c011 and a heat rejecting condenser constructed in two unitsconnected in series, said coil and the first of said condenser unitsbeing located in said duct in the order stated relatively to thedirection of circulatory flow; and meansfor directing hot gaseousrefrigerant to said units in varying proportions.

4. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto said room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; adehumidifier unit of the refrigerating type including an evaporatingcooling coil and a heat rejecting condenser constructed in two unitsconnected in series, said coil and the first of said condenser unitsbeing located in said duct in the order stated relatively to thedirection of circulatory flow; means for directing hot gaseousrefrigerant to said units in varying proportions; and

thermostatic means controlling the lastnamed means. i

- 5. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto the room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; an airwasher interposed in said duct;

6. The combination of a room; a ventilating duct leading from and backto the room;

means for inducing a circulation through said duct; anair washerinterposed in said duct; means for feeding water to said washer;refrigerating means arranged to cool said water and including a heatrejecting condenser having a portion only in said duct in heatexchanging relation with air leaving the washer; means for varying theproportion of hot gaseous refrigerantidelivered to that portion of thecondenser within the duct; and

"thermostatic means controlling the lastnamed means.

7. The comblnation of a room; a vent1lating duct leading from and backto the room means for inducing a circulation through said duct; an airwasher interposed in said duct;

means for feeding water to said washer;

refrigerating meansarranged to cool said water and including a condenserhaving a prerefrigerating means arranged to cool said water andincluding a condenser having a pre-cooler portion in 'said duct in heatexchanging relation with air leaving the washer, and a main condensingportion not in such heat'exchanging relation; means for deliver ing hotgaseous refrigerant to the main condensing portion in varyingproportions both Y directly and indirectly through the. pre-coolerportion; and thermostatic means controlling the last named means.

9. The combination of a room; a ventilat-- ing duct leading from andback to the room; means for inducing a circulation through said duct; anair washer interposed in said duct; means for feeding water to saidwasher; refrigerating means arranged to cool said Water and including acondenser having a precooler portion in said duct in heat exchangingrelation with air leaving thewasher, and a main condensing portion notin such heat exchanging relation; means interposed between thepre-cooler portion and the main portion to permit flow from thepre-cooler to the main portion and preclude back flow; and means fordelivering hot gaseous refrigerant to the main condensing portion invarying proportions both directly and indirectly through the pre-coolerportion.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

THOMAS SHIPLEY

